Lighted barricade



Dec. 20, 1966 A. J. VIVIANO LIGHTED BARRICADE Filed July 22, 1964 INV ENTOR. Andrew cf. Vzvzarzo ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Office 3,293,602 Patented Dec. 20, IEEE 3,293,602 LIGHTED BARRICADE Andrew I. Viviana, 225 (Iochran Way, New Qastie, Pa. 16602 Filed Early 22, 1964, Ser. No. 384,404 1 Claim. (31. 3410-81) This invention relates to a barricade and more particularly to a barricade incorporating a flashing light and wherein the barricade is arranged to protectively enclose the flashing light while providing clear visibility thereof.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a lighted barricade arranged to protect the light therein while providing clear visibility thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a lighted barricade that may be simply and inexpensively formed of sheet metal arranged to be supported in elevated relation to the ground.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a lighted barricade incorporating folding legs and means for holding the legs in folded position and in extended barricade supporting position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a lighted barricade of a simple and inexpensive construction that is durable and capable of being roughly handled without harming the same.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a lighted barricade in which a large size battery powered flashing light unit may be protectively enclosed in the manner rendering the light unit clearly visible from both sides of the barricade.

The lighted barricade disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to such devices as are commonly used in temporarily blocking off streets or highways during repair work and the like. Such barricades as have heretofore been known in the art have generally comprised wooden members supported on legs and to which members some attempts have been made to attach flasher light units. Still other forms of barricades have comprised cylindrical devices resembling steel drums and the flasher light assemblies have been secured thereto. Various types of metal barricades including a horizontal barrier or body portion and spaced spread legs have also been utilized and with some of these constructions attempts have been made to attach flasher light assemblies so that the barricades are effective at night, as well as in the daytime.

The present invention overcomes a principal objection to the several barricades heretofore known in the art, in that when they were equipped with flasher light assemblies as has been frequently attempted so that they are efficient and visible at night, the devices upon being knocked down or upon being handled in shipment or in transfer from one job to another frequently damaged or completely destroyed the flashing light assembly. The present barricade not only provides a relatively indestructible metal structure, but the same also protectively encloses the flashing light assembly in a manner enabling the light to be clearly visible in both directions.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the lighted barricade with broken lines indicating an alternate foldedup position of one of the legs thereof.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the lighted barricade seen in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross sectional detail on line 44 of FIGURE 1, with parts in broken lines indicating an alternate position of one of the structural members of the barricade as well as the flashing light assembly normally mounted in the barricade.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that a lighted barricade has been disclosed which comprises an elongated barricade body member which, as may be seen in the end view comprising FIGURE 2, is of general inverted V-shape in cross section and includes a transversely flat top portion 11 with the elongated flat body portions 10, 1t) spaced with respect to one another and at an acute angle to one another. The lower longitudinal edges of the spaced members 10, 10 are secured to one another by transversely positioned end frame members 12, 12 as may be seen in the enlarged detail comprising FIGURE 3 of the drawings. These end frame members 12, 12 are provided with centrally located apertures which are threaded and which receive threaded eye bolts 13, 13. A pair of bars each having central threaded openings therein and indicated in the drawings by the numerals 15, 15 are pivotally mounted on the threaded eye bolts 13, 13 one at either end of the device. Each of the end frame members 12, 12 also has a pair of inwardly extending arms 16, 16 thereon against which the bars 15, 15 may be clampingly engaged as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings and for the purpose of holding tubular legs 17, 17 securely in position as shown in FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

The upper inner ends of each of the tubular legs 17, 17 are pivotally secured to the angularly disposed body members It 10 by nut and bolt assemblies 18, 18, and it will be observed that the acute angular relation of the body members 16, 11 of the device position the tubular legs 17, 17 in the same angular relation to the device so that they are eflectively spread thereby and thereby suitably support the lighted barricade.

Each of the body members 10, 10 of the barricade has a hook 19, 19 on its inner side approximately midway between its ends which are arranged to hold the tubular legs 17, 17 within the area of the body members 10, 10 of the barricade when the same are collapsed inwardly thereof or retracted therewithin as seen in broken lines in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. The body members 10, 10 of the barricade are provided with oppositely disposed relatively large circular openings 20, 20 and each of the barricades is provided with means for detachably mounting a flasher light assembly within the area defined by the body members 11), 11 so that the light portion thereof is in alignment with the oppositely disposed openings 21), 20.

By referring to FIGURE 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that the means for mounting the flasher light assembly in the barricade comprises a U-shaped bracket 21 having outturned ends 22 which are attached as by spot welding to the top member 11 of the barricade in spaced relation to the openings 21), 20 in the body members 111, 10 thereof. A relatively small opening 23 is formed in the top member 11 of the barricade so that a tool may be inserted vertically through the opening 23 to engage a fastener in the U shaped bracket 21 by means of which the flashing light assembly, and more specifically the battery case thereof, may be attached to the U-shaped bracket 21.

In FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the battery case of the flashing light assembly is indicated by broken lines and the numeral 24, and it will be observed that it is provided with a boss 25 on one side to which a fastener 26 is engaged and that the fastener 26 is positioned through an opening in a secondary bracket 27 which is secured to the inner side of one of the body members 10. The secondary bracket 27 is angularly disposed relative to the body member to which it is attached, and this angular formation of the secondary bracket 37 results in a substantially vertical surface to which the fastener 26 secures the battery case 24 so that the same is in proper horizontal position within the barricade, as seen in broken lines in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

It will be observed that the battery case 24 and the actual lens carrying circular portion thereon which is in dicated in the drawings by the numeral 28 are always spaced a considerable distance with respect to the closest portion of the barricade and particularly the body members 10, 10 and 11 thereof.

It will thus occur to those skilled in the art that the barricade may be accidentally tipped over or struck by a motor vehicle or the like, and that it will protectively enclose and hold the flasher light assembly comprising the battery case 24 and light and lens carrying circular portion thereof 28 in protected relation thereto so that they will not be broken. The same remarks apply to the safe positioning of the flasher light assembly when the barricade is being transferred from one location to another and the tubular legs 17 are folded inwardly thereof and held by the hooks 19.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that when the device is brought onto a job and is to be erected for its usual operation, the tubular legs 17, 17 are unhooked from the hooks 19, folded downwardly and spread to a point where they engage the end frame members 12, 12, whereupon the pivoted bars 15, 15 are swung into position as shown by the broken lines in FIGURE 4 so that they cage the legs between the inner ends of the end frame members 12, 12 and the short arms 16, 16 thereon as heretofore referred to, whereupon the eye bolts 13, 13 are tightened and the legs thus securely held in desired spread relation to one another. The flasher light assembly is then mounted within the barricade by the fasteners engaging the brackets 21 and 27 as heretofore referred to and the barricade positioned in desired blocking relation to a traffic lane on a street or highway. The exterior surfaces of the barricade and particularly the body members 10, 10 thereof are preferably painted or otherwise finished in alternate diagonally arranged black and white stripes, as may be seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. Thus, the barricade so lighted is visible in the daytime and at night due to the provision of the flasher light assembly therein, and the openings 20, 20 through which the light and lens portions thereof is clearly visible.

Still referring to FIGURE 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that in order to reach the fastener 26 as heretofore referred to, it is necessary that a tool be inserted through a secondary opening 29 in the body member 10 which is in alignment with the opening in the secondary bracket 27 through which the fastener 26 is positioned.

It will thus be seen that a lighted barricade has been disclosed which meets the several objects of the invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A lighted barricade comprising an elongated horizontally disposed body member of substantially inverted V-shape in cross section having a flattened top portion between angularly disposed wall portions, end frame members secured to the lower outermost corners of the inverted V-shaped body member and clamping means on said end frame members, legs pivoted to said angularly disposed wall portions of said inverted V-sh-aped body member adjacent the ends thereof and arranged to be engaged by said clamping means on said end frame members so as to secure the same thereto, means in said inverted V-sbaped body member for detachably securing a flashing light assembly, said means being positioned adjacent oppositely disposed relatively large openings in said angular wall portions of said inverted V-shaped body member so that said flashing light assembly may be positioned with the light emitting portion thereof in spaced alignment with said openings, said clamping means on the end frame members comprising eye bolts, each of which threadably engages a threaded opening in each of said end frame members and a bar having a threaded opening therein engaged on said eye bolt and wherein inwardly extending short arms are formed on said end frame members inwardly from the ends thereof and arranged to engage said bar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,528,490 11/1950 Berry 340-81 2,880,405 3/1959 Lerman 34081 3,092,826 6/1963 Klingner 34045 NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

T. A. ROBINSON, Assistant Examiner. 

